Too cold was not limited to Ocean City.  It was too cold everywhere in the country.  I shivered everywhere I went.  I didn’t get my kayak in the water much.  Most of the times I did, it was too cold and windy, but I refused to miss the last chance.  I know the kayak gives such unique vantage points to view nature, that it’s worth a little chilling as I paddled in St. Elena Canyon, around a cruise ship, and through the mangrove tunnels.  It was the same story for my bicycle, walking was much warmer.
    This winter it snowed in Miami (first time in recorded history!), was under 45 degrees in Key West for fifteen days in a row (another first), and the poor bottom critters in Florida Bay all died!  Watching all those pulsating part plant part animals and Cassiopeia, star fish, sea slugs, crabs, jelly fish, and more was better than a movie.  This January the Bay bottom was all brown and only moved by the lifeless water, a tragedy.  The ones that couldn’t escape to warmer water were dead. I watched the weather reports for O.C. from afar; I was warmer than here, but the locals in our south lands suffered.  Did the cold keep me from enjoying, having a good time or appreciating so many natural places - hardly; I had a blast.  I just had to adapt to doing what the weather would allow.  Now, my brain is overflowing with outstanding memories, including several episodes and predicaments that only I could become part of.  I’ll be relating lots of those in these articles this summer and fall as I describe my meanderings through Florida, Texas, Arizona, southern Utah and scores of places in between as I drove 16,000 miles during 147 days from December til a couple days ago. I have thousands of marvelous photographs taken in our beautiful natural areas.  Many will be included here and more are posted at http://picasaweb.google.com/o.c.fotoguy2009.  Of course any would look great on your wall or make a great gift and all can be purchased.  Also, I’ll be available as I have since 1991, for family photos on the beach, weddings, or whenever you need a photographer.  Call me at 410-289-7339 or send me an email at ocfotoguy@aol.com and check out my webpage @ PhotosAsYouWantThem.biz.
    I was so fortunate to be able to roam and wander to more than thirty-five natural and/or fascinating places.  Each had something exceptional to show me; lots of stuff an average person never sees in a life time.  I had no agenda, requirements or itinerary, just a rough idea and goal of going where it was warm for the winter months.  This was the twelfth year I’ve done this. There was one immense difference this time. Other years I’ve spent over 60 nights sleeping in a tent. Not this year, no tent and that’s a good thing, because most places I’d have froze.  This was no winter to be in a tent, no matter if I was in a place where it was normally warm.  This year I put a camper on the back of my pickup truck and it became a perfect home away from home.  It worked so well I pronounced it my nest, inspired by a bird house I found in Key West.
    Key West is where I celebrated New Year’s Eve and the weather “trapped” me there for two more weeks.  It was colder every other place in the country, so why leave.  I got an overflowing dose of celebrating tourists, so I took the opportunity to find the local’s hangouts and restaurants and avoided Duval Street.  The Cuban food was phenomenal, live music at happy hour was terrific, and I got no hassle anywhere I parked the camper overnight. The camper, a Capri Rodeo, I purchased south of Ft. Worth where it was built.
    My first stop to break it in was Big Bend National Park, which is in the southern tip of western Texas, where I saw gorgeous sunrises and bobcats. Then I headed east for Florida stopping in south Padre Island, Tex. and the Cajon Coast of Louisiana, where it rained torrents and the wind blew for days, but I found lots of good food and cold ACBs. I got to Panama City Beach in time to sit by the Gulf of Mexico and address my Holiday Cards before Christmas for people that don’t do email.  From there I drove down the western coast enjoying Siesta Key (oysters dieblo at SKOB), Ft. Myers Beach’s sunset, a Christmas Buffet at Rookie’s Sports Bar in Marco Island, and a couple nights in the American jungle of Big Cypress before going to the Keys.
    After the mercury climbed minimally enough to leave the Keys I went back to the Everglades at Big Cypress, where I see more wildlife (panthers, otters, limpkins & bitterns +) than any other place I go.  If I could go only one place, that would be it, plus the Everglades City Seafood Festival happens while I’m camped there in February, too.  From Florida I went to southern Utah where it was colder in the camper the first morning than in my refrigerator, so I drove to southern Arizona after stopping in Deming, NewMex. and a feast on TexMex beef tongue!  I arrived in Aravaca for St. Patrick’s Day near Buenos Aires N.W.R. with Mt. Baboquivari towering above, then to the hummingbird oasis of Organ Pipes Cactus New Mex., and Cibola N.W.R. which is very remote with bobcats, wild burros, and birds I’d never seen before. From there I had NCAA basketball on my mind and headed for Las Vegas for the buffets, wagering and watching the games on TV. On the way I made my perennial stop at the Palms Inn, Twenty-nine Palms, Calif. for $1 ACBs and $7.50 steak dinner
    I completed my expedition with several days gazing at the Grand Canyon from the north rim at Toroweap (I’m still fascinated by the pot hole critters there!?!?), getting caught in a snow storm at Bryce Canyon, but treated to great photos of the red rock who doos with that white stuff; then a blizzard chased me out of the nowherelands of Escalante Grand Staircase and the Dixie National Forest. I went to Capital Reef and recovered with great walks without moving the camper and was amazed watching a fox bat a squirrel out of a tree for its dinner.
    Arches N.P. became the last stop with arch laden landscapes, but thoughts of the Eastern Shore told me it was time to head home. The details will be here in following weeks or ask me when you see my straw hat around O.C. 
    I’m ready now for some steamed crabs, Coins 1⁄2$ menu (seafood alfredo- yum), 1⁄2$ apps at Seacrets (great shrimp), Fager’s Island Deck Party on Mondays with Raymond’s Ribs right off the BBQ grill accompanied by Batman’s music, Spring Fest, the beach and all those O.C. delights.